Pneumatic toy



March 13, 1951 E. OSPlNA-RACINES PNEUMATIC TOY Filed May 29, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PNEUMATIC 'roY Eduardo Ospina-Racines, Bogota, Colombia Application May29, 1948, Serial No. 30,141

Claims.

The present invention relates to a novel amusement device eminentlysuited for use as a toy or game or as a display to attract publicattention, for example in conjunction with advertising signs or showwindows.

Further possibilities for use of my invention will become apparent fromthe following description read in conjunction with the drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a sectionalview of one embodiment of my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a right side view of the embodiment shown inFig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, in which my invention is illustrativelyshownina formisuitable for use as a game, toy or amusement device, l is a.blow tube through which a current of air is blown by the person usingthe device, the other end of tube 1 being closed, for instance as shownin the drawing, by the outer wall of tube 3; the air passes upwardsthrough tube 2. A light ball 4, made for example of cork or of hollowconstruction, is sustained in mid-air, as shown in Fig. 1, on this airjet.

It is to be noted that this air jet aspirates the air in tube 3, thuscausing a flow of air in said tube in the direction indicated by thearrows (Fig. 1). It is thus evident that when ball 4 is adjacent end 6of tube 3, the ball will be sucked laterally into said tube 3 and travelthrough said tube in the direction of the air flow within said tube asindicated by the arrows. If the player or person usin the device nowmuch as if too much blowing force is applied,

the danger exists that ball 4 will move laterally of. of the air jetrising from tube 2 and fall free. On the other hand, insufiicientblowing strength will fail to raise ball 4 out of tube 3. Similarlyskill is required once ball 4 is raised out of tube 3 in the variationby the player of the blowing strength, in order that the ball will nothave so great a velocity adjacent aspirating end 6 of tube 3 to preventthe ball from being sucked into said tube through said end.

In order to create still more interest and permit the application ofstill higher skill, tube 3 may be developed as a branched tube, anadditional branch 1 being provided, the open end 8 of which is, forinstance, aligned with'end 6 of tube 3, thus providing two alternativelateral re turn routes for ball 4, the selection of which depends'onwhether ball 4 is supported on the fluid jet emerging from tube 2adjacent end 8 of branch 1, or-end 6 of tube 3. A plug Ii] possiblysecured by chain l l to support l2 may be pro; vided to permit end 8 ofbranch I to be plugged, as shown in the drawing, thus making only tube 3available for the lateral aspiration and return of ball 4.Alternatively, end 6 of tube 3 may be plugged so that only end 8 ofbranch 1. is .rree

forthe lateral aspiration"andreturnlof ball It is evident that-thisembodiment of .myingvention constitutes a fascinating and intriguingnovel amusement device. Due to the uniqueness of its operation myinvention is also extremely well suited as a means to direct publicattention to advertising signs, show windows, displays,

' etc., in conjunction with which it is employed.

When used for this purpose, tube i may, for instance, be connected to asource of pressure air, such as a blower (not shown in the drawing), andtubes 2 and 3 so inter-dimensioned with respect to the weight of ball 4that a given constant air delivery from the air source causes ball 4 tomove upwards out of tube 3 and to move adjacent opening 6 of tube 3 witha velocity 111+ suflioient to prevent lateral aspiration of said ballinto said tube.

Instead of employing air as the operating fluid to form the jet uponwhich the ball is suspended, a liquid such as water, possibly coloredwater, may be caused to rise from tube 2, emerging as a liquid jet ofsufiicient strength to support ball 4 adjacent end 6 of tube 3, so as tocause said ball to be aspirated laterally into said tube and return tothe liquid column, due to the air flow occasioned in tube 3 by the waterflow.

Numerous other embodiments of my inventive idea will suggest themselvesand it is not my purpose that the foregoing description, given solely byway of illustration and not of limitation, be limited by anything savethe appended claims or their equivalent, in which claims I haveendeavored to claim broadly all inherent novelty.

I claim:

1. An amusement device comprising a tube adapted for flow of a fluid jetthereout and a tubular conduit, one end of which conduit olebouches intosaid fluid jet and is in aspirated relationship to said fluid jet so asto establish flow 3 in said tubular conduit, the other end of saidtubular conduit being in aspirating relationship to said fluid jet at apoint further from the mouth of said tube than said first end.

2. An amusement device comprising a tube adapted for flow of a fluid jetthereout, said fluid jet being adapted to support an object thereon, anda tubular conduit, one end of which debouches into said fluid jet and isin aspirated relationship to said fluid jet so as to establish flow insaid tubular conduit, the other end of said tubular conduit being inaspirating relationship to said fluid jet at a point further from themouth of said tube than said first end, said conduit being of sufilcientfree cross-section to permit passage of said object thereinbetween saidfirst and second ends.

3. An amusement device comprising a tube adapted for flow of a fluid jetthereout and a tubular, branched conduit, one branch of which 1 branchedconduit, one branch of which debouches into said fluid jet and is inaspirated relationsnip to "said fluid jet so as to establish flow insaid conduit, each of the other branches of said conduit being inaspirating relationship to said fluid jet ata point further from themouth of said tube than said first branch, and at least one closuremember for said other branches. '5. An amusement device comprising atube adaptedior flow of a fluid jet thereout and a branched conduit, onebranch of which debouches into said fluid jet and is positioned inaspirated relationship to said fluid jet so as to establish flow in saidconduit, the other branches of said conduit being in aspiratingrelationship to said fluid jet at points consecutively further from themouth of said first tube than said first branch.

6. An amusement device comprising a tube adapted for flow of a fluid jetthereout, a tubular conduit through one end of which said jet passesaxially so as to aspirate flow in said conduit, the other end of saidconduit being in ,aspirating relationship to said fluid jet.

"I. An amusement device comprising a tube jet being adapted to supportan object thereon,

a tubular branched conduit, through the end of one branch of which saidjet passes axially so as to aspirate flow in said conduit, each of theother branches of said conduit being in aspirating relation'ship to saidfluid jet, said conduit being throughout of suihcient unimpededcross-section to permit passage therethrough of said object.

9. An amusement device comprising a tube adapted for flow of a fluid jetthereout, said fluid jet being adapted to support an object thereon, atubular branched conduit, through the end of one branch of which saidjet passes axially so as to aspirate flow in said conduit, each of theother branches of said conduit being in aspirati'ng relationship to saidfluid jet, said conduit being throughout of suflic'ient unimpededcrosssection to permit passage therethrough of said object, and at leastone closure member for said other branches.

10. An amusement device comprising a tube adapted for flow of a fluidjet thereout, said fluid jet being adapted to support an object thereon.a tubular branched conduit, through the end of one branch of which saidjet passes axially so as to aspirate flow in said conduit, the otherbranches of said conduit being in aspirating relationship to differentparts of said fluid jet, the said conduit being throughout of suincientunimpeded cross-section to permit passage therethrough of said object.

EDUARDO OSPmA-RACINES.

REFERENCES CITED The v following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 186,418 Fritz Jan. 23, 18771,211,736 Marshall Jan. 9, 1917-

